Emirates FA Cup 2021/22 Preliminary Round

Halesowen Town FC v Sutton Coldfield Town FC (Saturday 21st August 2021)

Nicknames. Some are obvious (Reds, Clarets, Magpies, Canaries, Swans). My team, Birmingham City, is obvious - The Blues - due to the understandably downbeat mood of most fans most times. Others are less directly obvious (Hatters, Cobblers, Foxes, Blades) but there's a decent link. Then there are those that need a bit more thought (Toffees, Trotters, Addicks, Monkey Hangers).

Sutton Coldfield Town. The Royals (The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield). My Auntie Elsie used to run The Dog Inn on The Parade in Sutton Coldfield. Family Royalty.

Halesowen Town. The Yeltz. My instinct was something to do with yellow, but there are more interesting possibilities. Ben Bullock and Matt Ponter in their book, The Yeltzmen (and in today’s programme notes), try to get to the bottom of the story. 

Is it a corruption of an old version of the name Halesowen (formerly Hales, before that Halas)? Halas locally may have been pronounced 'Yalas', hence Yeltz. Or is it from 'Ye Earls', in other words belonging to The Earl (of Dudley). Or Yeltz buttons, from a James Grove Button Company design. Alternatively - and much more unlikely - something to do with a mythical Hungarian national who played for Halesowen in the '50s? Pungus Catfich would, apparently, shout "Yeltz Albert Yeltz", which might mean "over here son, on my head'. However, Ben and Matt can find no record of a Pungus Catfich.

As Ben and Matt note in their book, it's something of a badge of honour to have a nickname nobody understands. There's much more in the book, available from yeltzclubshop.com. I won't even start on whether the club's 150th anniversary is in 2023 or 2027.

Regardless of all of that, here we had a meeting of two Northern Premier League Midlands Division clubs with a great history. The Yeltz founded in 1873, maybe. The Royals founded in 1879. Indeed these clubs have a great FA Cup pedigree, with continuous representation between them in the first round proper for 8 consecutive seasons from 1985/86 to 1992/93; 85/86 to 91/92 (Halesowen Town) and 92/93 (Sutton Coldfield Town). A place in the first qualifying round of the 21/22 FA Cup was at stake. 

The torrential rain had followed me from the previous round at Larkhall Athletic, so most of the 551 crowd were huddled in the shelter of The Harry Rudge Stand (club legend) and The Shed. It didn't take long for The Yeltz to take control of this one. In the 6th minute Christopher Lait slotted in the opener after a really bright start from Halesowen. The rest of the first half saw The Yeltzmen continuing their domination. Jack Holmes was causing all sorts of trouble with his clever runs and playmaking skills down the right wing. On the approach to half-time it was 2-0 with Christopher Lait bagging his second. 

The second half was a more even affair, but in truth the tie seemed to be over by that point. Man of the Match, Christopher Lait, continued to milk it with the completion of his hat-trick in the 64th minute. The skies turned grey, the rain continued to fall and the match was over with Halesowen Town progressing to the first qualifying round over the weekend of 4th/5th September.

Full Time: Halesowen 3 Sutton Coldfield 0

Good venue, nice pint, good atmosphere, decent game and keep an eye out for Jack Holmes who is faster than Bradley Wiggins on steroids. Best of luck to both clubs for the rest of the season.